Carton for glass syringes



June .22, 1937. H. T. sMm-l 2,084,540

CARTON FOR GLASS SYRINGES Filed Jan. 5, 1937 ATTORN EYS Patented June 272, 1937 UNITED `STATES PATENT OFFICE V.?,I)84=,5I=0

CARTON FOR GLASS SYRINGES Application January 5, 1937.; Serial No. 119,063

11 claims. (c1. 20c-43) This invention relates to cartons and more vparticularly to cartons adapted for the packaging andshipment of glass hypodermic syringes and has for its object toprovide a medium which, besides holding and supporting the syringe parts in a denite position, will provide means for protecting the syringe against breakage.

Among the most widely used hypodermic syringes is one variety which comprises a tubular glass barrel having an interiorly ground cylindrical surface, etched or ground or colored lines on the exterior surface to indicate the volume of the uid contained inthe syringe and the amount used, and a tapered ground-glass nozzle for the y, accommodation of the customary needle hub. The open end of the barrel is, as a rule, provided with laterally extending at glass flanges against the under side'of which the lingers of the operator are placed in effecting an injection.v All of these parts of the barrel represent an integral body of glass. A glass plunger having an exteriorly ground cylindrical surface approximately coextensive with the interior dimensions of the barrel, and butinnitesimally smaller in '25 diameter than the interior diameter of the ,bar-

rel, occupiesthe space within the barrel. The plunger is usually provided with an enlarged head at its outer end to furnish a convenient means for effecting outward movement of the 3@ plunger in filling the barrel with fluid and for permitting the thumb of the operator to press upon when an injection is made. The plunger, like the barrel, represents an integral body of glass.

Heretofore it has been the general practice in the packaging and shipment of such syringes, to place a small disc or washer of cork or like cushioning material within the barrel, then to push the piston into the barrel as far as it will 49 go, the washer providing a spacing means to prevent the front face of theplunger from making contact with the inner front face ci the barrel and in this assembled condition the syringe was laid into a carton provided with two open L; pockets at the two ends thereof and two transversely extending cardboard struts cut out to receive and to support the mid-section of the barrel. The open pockets at the two ends were filled With cotton or the like so that at one end o the cotton surrounded the ground-glass tip of the barrel while at the other end the flanges of the barrel and the outer portions of the plunger and its enlarged head were also embedded in cotton. Inasmuch as the space provided in the cardboard struts adjacent to the mid-sectionof the barrel approximated the cross-sectional dimension of the barrel and the extremities of the syringe were embedded in cotton packing, the barrel was maintained against movement from side to Side in its container while the cottonpacking at the two ends of the syringe also prevented movement of the plunger relative to the barrel or vice versa and incidentally protected the wrapper parts against breakage. The cork washer took up any shock which might be occasioned by the tendency of the plunger to move further down into the barrel during shipment.

The object of the present invention is to eliminate many of the features characteristic of the conventional method of packaging glass syringes to make it unnecessary to employ extraneous protective means such as washers or cotton and to render the container or carton simple and inexpensive while providing for all of the protective features which are necessary.

This object is attained by so constructing the inner parts of that section of the carton within which the syringe is to be Supported as to form a channel or trough adapted to receive the barrel and to provide spaced apertures for receiving the flange on the upper end of the barrel on the one hand and the expanded head of the plunger on the other, the space between the Bange-receivingv and the head-receiving apertures being substantially greater than the distance between the plunger head and the barrel flange when the plunger is in contact with the bottom end of the syringe barrel.

The invention will be better understood from the following description, together with the attached drawing showing a preferred form 'of the invention in which Fig. 1 is a top view of a carton with the cover removed to show the manner in which a syringe is disposed in a ller made according to the invention; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a section taken along the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 1 with the syringe omitted to show the ller more clearly; Fig. 5 is a longitudinal central section of Fig. 4; Fig. 6 is a section taken along the line 6 6 of Fig. 5 and Fig. l is a plan view of the blank from which the filler shown in Figs. l to 6 is made.

In the drawing, I0 designates the tray of a syringe carton and II the support or filler thereof for receiving a hypodermic syringe to be packed in the carton. As Shown in Figs. l to 3 of the drawing, the syringe comprises the customary tubular glass barrel I2, terminating at one end in a nozzle I3 or equivalent means for the accommodation of the usual hypodermic needle in the conventional manner. A plunger I4 which may be made of glass is arranged to slidably t the interior of the barrel. In order to facilitate the operation of said plunger I4 in the barrel I2, a flange I5 is provided on the upper end of the barrel I2 and a head IG is provided at the outer end of the plunger I4. A suitable clamping means I'I is shown mounted on the barrel I2 for frictionally engaging with the plunger I4 to maintain the latter against unintentional sliding movements lengthwise of the barrel. y

The open box or tray lo is made of cardboard or other suitable material and is provided with a cover (not shown) of any suitable construction. As is shown more clearly in Fig. 1, the tray I0 has a width approximately three times greater than the diameter of the syringe barrel and has a length materially greaterl than the overall length of the syringe with the plunger partly withdrawn so that there is a space between the barrel nozzle and one end of the tray and a space between the plunger head and the other end of the tray.

The ller l I is made from a rectangular blank oi cardboard having a length similar to= the interior length oi the tray and a width slightly greater than twice the interior width of the tray. As is shown more clearly in Fig. 7, the ller Il is creased lengthwise to provide seven longitudinally extending panels, the central panel I8 thereof forming the base and the intermediate panels I9 and 2t the sides of a syringe-receiving trough or channel when the ller is assembled in the tray and the intermediate panels 2I and 22 forming spacing members which are laterally disposed in the tray IB and are supported along their outer edges by the end panels 23 and 24, the widths of the panels I9, 20, 23 and 24 being similar so that the panels 2l and 22 are maintained in horizontal position in the casing. The central panel i8, in the region where the barrel of the syringe is to be contained, has a Width substantially the same as the outside diameter oi the syringe barrel and the transverse panels ZI and 22 in the same region, each have a width equal to one-half the difference in Width between the interior width of the container and the diameter of the syringe barrel so that when the syringe is inserted in the trough or channel, the panels i9 and 2S will snugly engage the outer surfaces o the syringe barrel. The abutting edges of the adjoining panels I9 and 2I and the adjoining panels 2t and 22 are cut away to provide a pair of oppositely disposed openings 25 and 25 in the ller on each side of the barrel so that the insertion or removal of the syringe in the ller may be facilitated.

Intermediate the openings 25 and 26 and one end of the ller are provided a pair of transversely extending elongated openings 2l and 28, the opening 2 extending completely across the panel IQ and into the panel 2l and the opening 28 which is on a line with the opening 2, extending completely across the panel 2i! and into the panel 22. Each of the openings 21 and 231 has a width slightly greater than the width of the` barrel flange I5 which they are adapted to receive and a length such that when the ller is assembled in the tray, the oppositely disposed portions thereof in the panels 2| and 22 will readily receive the barrel flange I5. The aligned openings 2l' and 28 are spaced from the opposite end of the blank, a distance greater than the combined length of the barrel I2 and nozzle I3 of the syringe so that the outer end of such nozzle cannot come into contact with the adjacent end The end portions 3S and 3l of the panels 2l and 22, respectively, in this region are correspondingly increased in Width so that the displaced portions 32 and 33 of the intermediate panels I9 and 20, respectively, which form the sides of the Y trough or channel in this region, will snugly engage the outer surfaces of the plunger proper. The Widths of the displaced portions 32 and 33 are the same as the widths of the panels I9 and 20 so that the panels 2| and 22 are disposed in substantiallyl horizontal position throughout their entire lengths.

Intermediate the openings 21 and 28 and the adjacent end of the filler blank are a pair of aligned transversely extending openings 34 and 35, the opening 3Q being disposed in and extending across the abutting redges of the panel portions 30 and 32 and the opening t5 being disposed in and extending across the abutting edges rof the panel portions 3l andV 33, Each of the openings 34 and 35 has a width slightly greater than the width of the plunger head which they are adapted to receive and a length such that when the hller is assembled in the tray, the oppositely disposed portions thereof in the transverse panel portions 3i! and 3i will readily receive the plunger head. The distance between the aligned openings 2l and 28 and the aligned openings 34 and 35 is substantially greater than the distance between the plunger head and'barrel ange of the syringe when the plunger Hl is fully inserted in the syringe barrel I2 so that its inner end is in contact with the inside bottom or seat of the syringe barrel whereby, when the syringe is disposed in the receiving channel with the head of the plunger and the barrel flange inserted in their respective openings, as shown in Fig. l, the inner end of the plunger is maintained in spaced relation from the inside bottom of the f syringe barreLfas is clearly shown in Fig. 2.

In assembling the ller in the tray I, the central panel I8 is positioned centrally of the tray against the bottom of the latter. Preferably a strip of glue is rst applied to the bottom of the tray or the central panel I8 so that Such panel becomes afliXed to the tray. The remaining panels are then inserted in proper position in the tray, the side panels I and 2t being placed in upstanding or vertical position and the end panels 23 and 24 being turned downwardly so that their outer edges rest on the bottom of the tray adjacent the inner sides of the latter, as is shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The transverse panels 2I and 22 which function as spacing members to maintain the side panels I9 and 2l) in proper position will be supported in horizontal position by the side panels I9 and 2! and the end panels 23 and 24. The aligned openings 25 and 26 enable the packer to readily place the syringe in the tray, the plunger of the syringe before such insertion being pulled out slightly so that when the barrel flange I5 is inserted in the aligned openings Z'I and 28, the head I6 of the syringe will t into the aligned openings 3E and 35. It will be seen that when the syringe is inserted properly in the ller of the tray, the head of the plunger and the flange on the barrel will be positively spaced apart so that it becomes unnecessary to place a shock-absorbing element between the inner end of the plunger and the inner bottom end of the barrel. Furthermore, the distance between the barrel ilange positioning apertures' and the farther end of the carton is such that the tip or nozzle of the barrel will never come into contact with the carton end. Sidewise or longitudinal movement of the syringe barrel or piston in the carton is prevented by the plunger head and barrel ange positioning openings and by the provision of the side panels I9 and 2e to cushion lateral movement of the barrel as shocks of unusual magnitude are laterally effective. The invention dispenses with the need for embedding the syringe ends in cotton to prevent breakage.

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the specific form shown and described may be made Within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the invention. Y

I claim:

l. A box for a syringe having a barrel provided with a ilange and a plunger provided with a head, said box comprising a tray and a ller tted into said tray, said filler including a pair of spacing panels and a trough-like section disposed between said panels and adapted to receive a syringe, said spacing panels and the sides of said trough-like section being provided with positioning openings adapted to receive the barrel flange and the plunger head of the syringe, the distance between the barrel ange positioning opening and the plunger head positioning opening being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel ilange and the head of the plunger when the plunger is fully inserted in the syringe barrel.

2. A box for a syringe having a barrel provided with a flange and a plunger provided with a head, said box comprising a tray having its dimension in the direction in which a syringe will lie therein substantially greater than the overall length of such syringe, a ller fitted into said tray and including a pair of spacing panels and a troughlike section disposed between said panels and adapted to receive a syringe, said trough-like section being provided with positioning openings adapted to receive the barrel ange and the plunger head of the syringe, the distance between the barrel fiange positioning opening and the plunger head positioning opening being substantiallygreater than the distance between the barrel flange and the plunger head when the plunger is fully inserted in the syringe barrel, and the distance between the barrel flange positioning opening and the side of the tray towards which the bottom of the syringe projects being substantially greater than the distancebetween the barrel flange and the lower end of the syringe.

3. A box for a syringe having a barrel provided with a ilange and a plunger provided with a head, said box comprising a tray, a ller tted into said tray and including a pair of spacing panels and a trough-like section disposed between said panels and adapted to receive a syringe, said troughlike section being provided with positioning open! ings adapted to receive the barrel kflange and the plunger head of the syringe, the distance between the barrel flange positioning opening and the plunger head positioning opening being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel ange and the plunger head when the plunger is fully inserted in the syringe barrel, and the distance between the barrel ange positioning opening and the side of the tray towards which the bottom of the syringe projects being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel flange and the lower end of the syringe, the cross-sectional area of said trough-like section in the region occupied by the syringe plunger being smaller than the cross-sectional area of such section in the region occupied by the syringe barrel.

4. A box for a syringe having a barrel provided with a ange and a plunger provided with a head, said box comprising a tray, a filler ntted into said tray and including a central panel adapted to rest on the bottom of said tray, intermediate panels projecting upwardly from the central panel and forming with the latter a trough-like section adapted to receive a syringe, and lateral panels joined to the upper edges of said intermediate panels to hold the latter in proper position, said intermediate panels and said lateral panels being provided with barrel flange and plunger head receiving openings, the distance between the barrel ilange receiving opening and the plunger head positioning opening being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel flange and the plunger head when the plunger is fully inserted in the syringe barrel, and the distance between the barrel flange positioning opening and the 4side of the tray towards which the bottom of the syringe projects being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel ange and the lower end of the syringe.

5. A box ior a syringe having a barrel provided with flange and a plunger provided with a head, said box comprising a tray, a filler tted into said tray and including a central panel adapted to rest on the bottom of said tray, intermediate panels projecting upwardly from the central panel and forming with the latter a trough-like section adapted to receive a syringe, and lateral panels joined to the upper edges of said intermediate panels to hold the latter in proper position, said intermediate panels and said lateral panels being provided with barrel iiange and plunger head receiving openings, the distance between the barrel flange receiving opening and the plunger head positioning opening being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel flange and ie plunger head when the plunger is fully inserted in the syringe barrel, and the distance between the barrel ange positioning opening and the side of 'the tray towards which the bottom of the syringe projects being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel flange and the lower end of the syringe, means securing said central panel to the bottom of the tray and means for holding the outer edges of said lateral panels spaced from the bottom of the tray.

6. A box forl a syringe having a barrel provided with a head, said box comprising a tray, a filler fitted into said tray and including a central panel adapted to rest on the bottom of said tray,

intermediate panels projecting upwardly from said central panel and forming with the latter a trough-like section adapted to receive the syringe, lateral panels joined to the upper edges of said intermediate panels and end panels joined to the outer edges of said lateral panels and projecting downwardly to the bottom of the tray to hold the outer edges of said lateral panels spaced from the bottom of the tray, said intermediate and said lateral panels being provided with barrel flange and plunger head receiving openings, the distance between the barrel ange receiving opening and the plunger head receiving opening being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel flange and the plunger head when the plunger is fully inserted in the syringe barrel, said central panel having a greater width in the region occupied by the syringe barrel than in the region occupied by the plunger and said lateral panels having a greater width in the region in which the plunger is disposed than in the region in which the barrel is disposed.

7. A box for a syringe having a barrel provided with a flange and a plunger provided with a head, said box comprising a tray, a filler fitted into said tray and having a plurality of panels, each of which is substantially longer than the length of the syringe to be contained in said box, said ller including a central panel adapted to rest on the bottom of said tray, intermediate panels projecting upwardly from said central panel and forming with the latter a trough-like section adapted to receive the syringe, lateral panels joined to the upper edges of said intermediate panels and end panelsjoined to the outer edges of said lateral panels and projecting downwardly to the bottom of the tray, each adjoining intermediate panel and lateral panel being provided with a barrel ilange receiving opening and a plunger head receiving opening, the distance between the aligned flange receiving openings and the aligned plunger head receiving openings being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel iiange and the plunger head oi the syringe when the plunger is fully inserted in the syringe barrel, and the distance between the aligned ange receiving openings and the end of the ller towards which the bottom of the syringe projects being substantially greater than the distance between the barrel flange and the lower end of the syringe, the central panel in the region between said flange receiving openings and the other end of the filler having a width smaller than the portion thereof on the other side of such openings and said lateral panels in such region having a width greater than the portions thereof o1" the other side of such openings.

8. A carton for syringes which are constituted of a glass barrel portion provided with a flange or iianges extending laterally from its open end and a plunger provided with an enlarged head, said carton including inner ledges of relatively sti constitution maintained above the bottom of the carton at the plunger receiving end of the carton for a distance approximating one-half of the diameter of the barrel of the syringe, said ledges being arranged to provide an aperture to permit the insertion, into said aperture, of the ange of the barrel, of the neck of the plunger, of the expanded head of the plunger, and or at least a part of the barrel, the apertured portion for the plunger neck being of less width than that of the other three said parts of the aperture and the apertured portions for the barrel flanges and for the plunger head being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the plunger head and the barrel flange when the plunger is in Contact with the bottom end oi the syringe barrel,

9. A carton for syringes which are constituted of a glass barrel portion provided with a flange or flanges extending laterally from its open end and a plunger provided with an enlarged head, said carton including inner ledges of relatively stir" constitution maintained above the bottom of the carton at the plunger receiving end of the carton for a distance approximating one-half of the diameter or the barrel of the syringe, said. ledges being arranged to provide an aperture to permit the insertion, into said aperture, of the ange of the barrel, of the neck of the plunger, of the expanded head of the plunger, and of at least a part of the barrel, the apertured portion for the plunger neck being of less width than that of the other three said parts of the aperture and the apertured portions for the barrel flanges and for the plunger head being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the plunger head and the barrel flange when the plunger is in Contact with the bottom end of the syringe barrel, said carton further including vertically arranged spacing members positioned laterally of' the barrel section of the syringe and spaced apart a distance approximating or but slightly wider than the diameter of the barrel.

l0. A carton for syringes which are constituted of a glass barrel portion provided with a flange or anges extending laterally from its openr end and a plunger provided with an enlarged head, said carton including inner ledges of relatively stiff constitution maintained above the bottom ci the carton at the plunger receiving end oi the carton for a distance approximating one-half of the diameter of the barrel of the syringe, said ledges being arranged to provide an aperture to permit the insertion, into said aperture, of the ange of the barrel, of the neck of the plunger, of the expanded head of the plunger, and of at least a part of the barrel, the apertured portion for the plunger neck Ybeing of less width than that oi the other three said parts of the aperture and the apertured portions for the barrel flanges and for the plunger head being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the plunger head and the barrel flange when the plunger is in contact with the bottom end of the syringe barrel, said ledges at their approximately central portions being additionally recessed for permitting ready access of the fingers to the syringe barrel in removing the syringe from the carton.

ll. A carton for syringes which are constituted of a glass barrel portion provided with a flange or flanges extending laterally from its open end and a plunger provided with an enlarged head, said carton including inner ledges of relatively stili constitution maintained above the bottom of the carton at the plungei1 receiving end of the-carton for a distance approximating oneehalf of the diameter of the barrel of the syringe, said ledges being arranged to provide an aperture to permit the insertion, into said aperture, of the flange of the barrel, of the neck of the plunger, of the expanded head of the plunger, and of at least a part of the barrel, the apertured portion for the plunger neck being of less width than that of the other three said parts of the aperture and the apertured portions for the barrel flanges and for the plunger head being spaced apart a distance greater than the distance between the plunger head and the barrel ilange when the plunger is in contact with the bottom end of the syringe barrel, said ledges at their approximately central portions being additionally recessed for permitting ready access of the lingers to the syringe barrel in removing the syringe from the carton, said carton further including vertically arranged spacing members positioned laterally of the barrel section of the syringe and spaced apart a distance approximating or but slightly wider than the diameter of the barrel, said Vertical spacing members being recessed in the vicinity of the recessed portions of the ledges.

' HENRY T. SMITH. 

